ECP accepts apologies of Azam Swati, Fawad Chaudhry for tirade against electoral watchdog

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday accepted the apologies of Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Railways Minister Azam Swati for their remarks against the electoral watchdog and its chief.

The ECP had issued show-case notices to the federal ministers on Oct 27 for their “caustic” remarks and serious allegations against the electoral body and the chief election commissioner.

At the outset of today's hearing, Railways Minister Azam Swati appeared before the ECP and said that he has always raised his voice to make the election commission independent. The ECP warned Azam Swati and Fawad Chaudhry to be careful in the future.

“You have more responsibility. These all institutions are yours. It is not appropriate to call them bad,” said an ECP member.

Taking to journalist outside the ECP, Azam Swati thanked the electoral watchdog for accepting his apology. Hailing the Election Commission, the minister said that the government will further empower it.

The sanctity of the vote will be protected through EVM, he added.   

Ministers apologise to ECP

On December 3, Federal Minister for Railways Azam Swati had apologised to the ECP over his allegations against the commission. 

Earlier, Fawad Chauhdry had also submitted an apology to the ECP.

A bench, comprising ECP members Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Mohammad Jatoi, had conducted the hearing of the show-cause notice issued against the Railways minister.

During the hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar, lawyer for Azam Swati, had appeared before the ECP and submitted an apology letter from the federal minister.

"Was he avoiding coming [before the court]?" a commission member had asked.

"He [Azam Swati] had to go to Quetta for some important work, otherwise he would have come," Barrister Ali Zafar had replied.

In response to the bench's inquiry about the document he [Azam Swati] wanted to submit, Barrister Zafar had read out the apology letter before the ECP members.

"I [Azam Swati] am a law-abiding person, a democratic man. I promote democracy and I have fought against corruption. I respect the Election Commission. My duty is to strengthen the ECP. I have always respected the ECP and did not try to scandalize it. If any such statement came from me, I apologise for it."

What allegations did Fawad Chaudhry, Azam Swati make against ECP?

On September 10, Azam Swati had lashed out at the ECP, accusing it of taking money from companies that make electronic voting machines during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on September 10 and another held the night prior at President House.

Swati had alleged that the ECP is destroying the country's democracy and that it is involved in rigging.

Members of the ECP had walked out of the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Azam Swati's allegations.

Fawad Chaudhry, on the other hand, had said that the ECP has "become the headquarters for Opposition parties" and the chief election commissioner is "acting as their mouthpiece", during a press conference on the same day Swati made his allegations.

The ECP had served notices to Chaudhry and Swati on September 16, seeking explanations within a week from both the ministers for accusations against CEC Sikander Sultan Raja and the commission.